What Really Happened with the Tapes
by kitsunicorn
Summary: A Welcome to Night Vale high school AU but not really. Why did Cecil fall instantly in love with Carlos? What if they knew each other in high school? And what was the deal with the tapes Cecil found? Chapter Song Playlist: /playlist?list PL8vNJk eWHPVLnPbmKYF3oiZs6E3x2L4-
1. Prologue

**Chapter Song: Home - Philip Philips**

Carlos was roused from his nap by the car jostling over a pothole. He groaned and sat up, fumbling around the back seat for his glasses. The world swam into focus as the glasses slid up his nose. "How much longer?"

"Any minute now- look! There's the sign right there!" His mom replied, pointing out the window at a purple sheet of metal on a post positioned on the side of the road. It read "Welcome to Night Vale. Population: Varies Dailey"

 _Seems a little ominous_ , he thought to himself.

...o0o...

As his family's minivan pulled up in front of his new home, he wondered how he was EVER going to "get used to" this town. Although it looked rather normal, something seemed... off. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but there was _something_.

The moving van had arrived about 20 minutes before his family, so most of their boxes already littered the curb in front of the sand-colored house. Carlos gathered a few boxes labeled with his name and various categories of items inside, and trudged off to his new house.

His room was on the second story, second door to the left. Someone, probably his father, had already set up his bed. He set down the boxes and opened one labeled "Carlos linens," before the freshmen pulled out two bedspreads. One was simple galaxy print, and the other was most of the periodic table stretched across the cotton. After a moment's pondering, he decided on the cosmos. Once finished making his bed, he grabbed his pillow from the bottom of the box and stuffed it into his pillow case, depicting an atom in the center. Carlos placed the remaining set of sheets back in the box and plopped himself on top of the fluffy comforter.

A new town, a new school, the first day of high school. He honestly didn't mind the change, with his father's job of a scientist. The company his father worked for had his family move a lot. He didn't particularly miss his old school or anyone there. Carlos had always been independent. "A scientist is self-sufficient" his father always said. And if it was good enough for his dad, it was good enough for him.

 _One or two friends wouldn't be bad though_ , he thought. _Just one or two._ He would find someone completely unique.

Boy was he in for a surprise.


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter Song: Best Day of My Life - American Authors**

First day, first impressions.

Carlos mumbled this to himself over and over as he dug through the many boxes labeled "Carlos Clothes". __You should have picked an outfit before packing everything away__! he thought, looking over the piles of shirts and shoes dotting the floor and bed.

Finally, he spotted his favorite flannel shirt: red plaid with white buttons. He quickly grabbed a pair of jeans and threw on the outfit before practically flying down the stairs. He grabbed his toast and yelled "Thanks Mamá!" before shoving it in his mouth. Stepping into his sneakers but not bothering to tie them, he raced out the door and down the street, barely jumping into the bus before the door slammed shut.

Carlos quickly slid into a seat in the very front upon noticing that most people took up residence in the back as the bus started moving.

"Hi" came a voice from right next to him, causing him to jump.

"Sorry" he muttered, blushing. "Didn't see ya there." He turned to face the kid next to him. It was a pale boy with blonde hair and-what color was that? It had to be contacts- violet eyes framed with large lavender glasses.

The boy extended his hand in greeting. "I'm Cecil. You must be new here; I haven't seen you around."

Carlos took his hand gladly. "I'm Carlos. It's very nice to meet you. I just moved here from Wisconsin."

"Ooooh! Chilly there, huh? Do you have fireflies? What do you think of Night Vale?"

Carlos was caught off guard by the amount of questions, having just met the kid. But he wanted to be a scientist, and a scientist has to be prepared to answer any and all questions.

"Yes, it is a bit cooler than around here. We only have fireflies in the summer, and I only got here yesterday, so I'm not sure what to think of this town yet." __That's good__ he thought, smiling. __Good first impression.__

"Neat!" Replied... what was his name again... Cecil! That's it. Cecil. "If you want, I can show you around after school." He continued.

"Sounds great!" Carlos replied. He wasn't sure why, but he kinda liked this guy. There was something about him that just made him want to be Cecil's friend.

The two departed the bus together and made their way to the outdoor eating pavilion. "That building over there is the cafeteria. There is seating inside, but I like the outdoors."

They waded through the crowd of high schoolers outside the cafeteria waiting for the bell to ring, signifying the beginning of the school day. Everyone had papers in their hands, and Carlos realized with a start that they were schedules.

"Um, Cecil, uh... Where do we get our schedules? I have no idea what my first class is."

"Don't worry! Most of these kids were at the open house last Saturday. That's why the already have theirs. We will get another copy when the bell rings and we report to our pod." He paused for a moment, then added "Each grade has their own building where their core classes are held."

Cecil gestured to the building adjoining the cafeteria. "This is where most of the electives are" he said, pointing to each door as he named a class. "Art, wood shop, band, choir, Spanish, and the locker rooms for P.E. are around on the other side."

As the other boy finished, the bell rang with a pleasant 'ding ding ding'. The whole crowd immediately turned in the same general direction as they began to make their way towards the pods. The two boys followed suit, allowing themselves to be swept away by the mob. Carlos had trouble sticking with Cecil, and the blonde noticed. He reached out and grabbed Carlos's arm, preventing them from separating.

Why did Cecil's touch make his skin tingle? Why did this boy make him blush? __He knows I'm gay__ , he thought. __He's making fun of me, and this is a joke at my expense.__ But of corse this wasn't true. They'd only just met, and he wasn't out to anyone yet.

As they entered the pod, the announcements started playing, quieting everyone. While Principal Winchell spoke, Cecil made his way to a table with a teacher sitting behind it, pulling Carlos along.

"... __And don't forget to pick up your schedules in your pod. If you have any complaints or electives you'd like to change, please fill a squirrel skull with river rocks and a paper with your desired schedule change and turn it in to the front office__..."

 _ _What the heck__? Carlos thought.

By then, the boys had reached the table and Cecil was talking to the teacher in a soft voice. Oh, that voice sent shivers down Carlos's spine.

 _ _What__? He thought. __Where did that come from?__

"Cecil Palmer" the blonde told the teacher. She handed him a schedule with his name on it, then turned her gaze to Carlos, who gulped. "What's your name, sweetheart?" She asked.

"C-Carlos Ramirez" he stuttered.

The lady glanced down at the pile of papers. "Here you go sweetie" she said brightly, pulling out a schedule clearly labeled with his name. "Looks like you have me for english. My name is Ms. English, by the way. Total coincidence." She chuckled warmly.

Carlos smiled and stepped away, allowing the next person to retrieve their schedule. Cecil leaned over his shoulder and held his paper next to Carlos's. "We have a bunch of classes together! Neat!"

Carlos barely heard him. He was suddenly acutely aware of Cecil's closeness. Feeling his face go red, he forced himself to compare the two papers, like a scientist would do.

The paper had a chart with 4 columns and 7 rows. The columns were labeled 'period,' 'course,' 'instructor,' and 'time.' The lateral lines displayed his classes and the specified information next to it. The boys' schedules were identical, except during Carlos's 4th period AP chemistry, Cecil had journalism.

"Wow. AP chemistry!" Cecil noted, impressed.

Carlos blushed. "I want to be a scientist when I get older" he explained.

"A scientist, huh?" Cecil smiled playfully. "I'm very into science these days."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Song: Pushing - Andy Grammar**

After 4th period was lunch. Carlos piled a little bit of this and a little bit of that onto his plate before paying. "I like the outdoors" Cecil had said. _Well_ , he thought, _since he's the only friend I've made, I might as well sit with him_. He headed to the cafeteria doors.

His eyes took a while to adjust to the bright desert sunlight, but when they did, his eyes immediately fell on Cecil. His friend was sitting with two girls, and Carlos felt his heart sink for some reason. He chose to ignore it when he saw Cecil raise his hand and wave at him, then pat the spot on the bench next to him.

Carlos made his way, maybe a little too quickly, over to Cecil's table. As he sat down, the blonde introduced him to his friends. "Dana and Mary, this is Carlos. Carlos, this is Dana" he gestured to the dark skinned girl across from himself, "and Mary" he pointed to a pale, but not as pale as Cecil, girl dotted with freckles in front of him. Dana had brown hair and light brown eyes, while Mary had blue eyes and light brown hair. He thought it was funny how everyone had a different skin tone as he pictured himself, Hispanic with dark brown eyes and brown curly hair.

Mary smiled teasingly. "Is this your boyfriend you've been telling us about?" The girls giggled as Cecil turned red. Carlos felt his own face grow hot with embarrassment.

"He is not my boyfriend." The blonde retorted quickly, maybe a bit too quickly (or maybe it was Carlos's imagination).

"He has perrrrrfect curly hair and perrrrrfect teeth" Dana attempted to imitate Cecil between giggles.

All laughter stopped when they noticed a look of pure hatred on Cecil's face. "Hey, man it was a joke. I'm sorry..." Dana began, but Cecil shook his head.

"It's not that" he said. They all followed his glare at a slightly chubby boy with short brown hair. "Steve Carlsberg" Cecil hissed.

"What's wrong with him?" Carlos asked.

Cecil shook his head again. "He's my ex, and a total jerk!" He said quietly.

Carlos blinked in surprise. "Are you... gay?" He asked before he could stop himself.

The boy shifted his gaze to look into Carlos's eyes. "Is there something wrong with that?" His voice was defensive, but assertive.

"No, no of corse not" Carlos sighed in relief. "I'm just surprise your so... open about it."

Cecil blushed. "Well I'm pansexual, technically. Like, gender blind."

Carlos nodded. He wanted to tell Cecil that he was gay, but he wasn't quite comfortable with the girls yet, so he kept it to himself.

While they ate, Carlos observed the social dynamics of the group. Cecil seemed to be the outsider, but still part of the group. He thought it was because Mary and Dana were best friends. Mary and Cecil were constantly talking, and Dana only spoke when she felt it necessary. After they finished the bell chimed and the freshmen rose to move to their next classes.

Cecil and Carlos entered History together. They say side by side, Cecil on the right and Carlos on the left, as they had in all of their shared classes.

Before they knew it, school was released and everyone headed out. As they exited the gate, Cecil looped arms with an unsuspecting Carlos and began to skip down the sidewalk.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked as his friend dragged him along.

"I promised to give you a tour of the town, silly!" Cecil replied.

Oh yea... He remembered. Carlos braced himself for the queer town where he now lived.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Song: C'mon - Panic! at the Disco and fun.**

 _What WAS this place?_ Carlos thought. Cecil had led them through the streets of Night Vale, pointing out things like the Bowling Alley, residential neighborhoods where so-and-so lived, the invisible clock tower, and the construction site of the drawbridge.

"...They haven't started building yet." Cecil was saying. "With still raising funds and such."

"Why would they need a drawbridge anyway? There's so water around. We're _literally in a desert_."

"City council basically has complete control" Cecil explained. "Speaking of City Council, here's City hall, right up ahead."

The two made their way along the sidewalk, and up to the steps of the large building. Cecil tried the doors, and found that they were open. He held the door for Carlos.

Upon entering, Carlos was overwhelmed by the sheer number of metal plaques hanging from the bricks. He skimmed over them until one in particular caught his eye. It looked about the same as the rest of the plaques so he wasn't sure what about it drew his attention until he inspected further.

The plaque had Cecil's name on it.

Carlos called his friend over and read the plaque aloud. "Cecil G. Palmer. Age 23. NVCR Host. What the heck does that mean?"

His friend rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well... I'm destined to be the next Night Vale Community Radio host... Kinda lame huh?"

Carlos laughed. "No, with your voice you'll make a fortune!"

Cecil beamed at him, and Carlos realized what he'd said. _You just complimented a guy's voice! That screams gay!_

Thankfully, Cecil didn't seem to notice, as his attention was drawn to a plaque on the opposite wall. "Check this one out" he called, gesturing to a slab of metal that read 'Carlos Ramirez. Age 22. Scientist.'

"Umm. Why is this here? I only moved here yesterday."

"Prophecies usually apply to people who spend most of their life here, or practice their profession here." Cecil explained.

Carlos shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. I just don't get this town."

A glimmer of light in his eye momentarily blinded him.

"Ooh Carlos! The sun is setting!"

With that, Carlos felt a tug on his arm again, as he was lead to a large painting of a man in a tan jacket, holding a deer skin suitcase. Cecil paused to tug the left side of the frame. The brunette watched in amazement as he heard a loud click and the painting, which apparently now was a door, swung slowly open with a low squeak.

"Come on!" Cecil urged as he pulled Carlos up the stairs. Behind them, the painting- he couldn't quite remember what it looked like anymore- swung closed with a deafening bang.

Cecil led him up a flight of spiraling stairs. Before his eyes could adjust to the dark, Carlos's head hit a ceiling.

"Sorry" Cecil muttered. There was another click, and a trap door opened above them. A sliver of sunlight fell upon them. The future radio host opened the door the rest of the way before pulling himself out, and then turned to offer a hand to his friend. Carlos accepted, and hoisted himself out.

"This is my favorite spot in the town" Cecil said, gesturing to the roof of town hall. There were several potted plants surrounding them, and a pile of old pillows in the center. "Sometimes I just need to get away, ya know?"

"Did you do this?" Carlos asked. "It's so beautiful" he murmured, gazing out at the town.

Cecil sat on the pile of pillows and patted a spot next to him for his friend to sit. "I like to come up here and listen to the radio or watch the sun set... I'm also fond of stargazing..."

Carlos sat himself next to his friend, a dozen questions flowing through his mind: about the painting, and the secret passage, but he ignored them for once to enjoy the sunset.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Song: Fallin' For Ya from Team Beach Movie**

Before he knew it, Carlos had lived in Night Vale for two months. He and Cecil often hung out on the roof of city hall. Cecil told him about how one day, he was in city hall, and he saw the secret door slightly cracked open. Not being able to ignore such a mystery, he went exploring. He found himself on the roof, and from then on, it was his own secret place. He decorated and made it comfortable, so he had a place to go when he was upset or needed to get out of the house.

Carlos was slowly growing accustomed to this strange town and its antics. He's gotten used to the mysterious hooded figures, accepted the randomness of the Sheriff's Secret Police, and learned not to question the vague yet menacing government agency.

Several times, Carlos had wanted to come out to Cecil, just to get it out there, and maybe then he could sort out the strange feelings he had towards his friend. But it never seemed to be the right time. It always felt like he would be doing it just for attention, or to ask Cecil out, both of which never the case. So Carlos just kept putting it off.

Anyway, his birthday was fast approaching, and he wanted his friends to attend. He currently sat addressing invitations to a few people, including Dana, Mary, and of corse Cecil. He sighed at the thought of him, tracing circles with his finger on his bedroom desk. Wait, what?

 _Since when have you been daydreaming about him? This is so weird_ , He told himself. _You don't have a crush on him, he's just your best friend._

Best friend. That was a new concept for him. Carlos thought back to his elementary school days, trying to remember if he'd ever called someone that before.

There was a knock on his bedroom door that made Carlos jump.

"Carlito," his mother called him by his nickname, given to him when he was 2. "Dinner is ready"

"Thanks Mamá, I'll be out soon," he replied. Carlos sighed and quickly finished addressing the letters.

...o0o...

Cecil had just finished the last season of Deathnote on a rental dvd. Trying to cope with the sadness of the end, he set about writing a Lawlight fanfiction (otp!). He had a sudden urge to text Carlos about the feels.

He really had a significant crush on his best friend, but didn't want to screw up their friendship. What if he confessed, but Carlos didn't reciprocate? And worse, what if he didn't want to be his friend anymore? He didn't even know if Carlos was into guys. Cecil couldn't take that kind of rejection.

Cecil sighed, then resumed his writing.

...o0o...

The next day, Carlos handed out the invitations to his friends. His circle grown to include Kevin, Cecil's twin brother, and Earl Harlan, one of Cecil's childhood friends. He handed each of them an invitation, saying "I hope to see you there." When he gave Cecil his designated envelope, he felt his heart flutter as their fingers brushed together.

 _Calm down_ , he thought. _You're just happy that you have another friend of another sexuality than straight_. Yea, that's it.

...o0o...

As soon as Cecil got home, he tore into the invitation. The party was this coming Saturday, from 6-8 pm.

With a giddy squeal, the blonde wrote 'Carlos birthday party' in big purple letters on the corresponding spot in the calendar. In almost an instant, he was on his bike, wallet in his pocket, riding down to the mall.

...o0o...

Carlos waited anxiously at the entrance of the bowling alley, waiting for his guests. Well, one in particular. Earl called ahead and said he couldn't come, and Mary and Dana were already there.

Just as he was about to turn away from the door, two bicycles turned the corner across from the Arcade Fun Complex. One was purple (of corse), and the color made his heart leap. _It's platonic excitement. Purely best friendness_ , he kept telling himself.

Cecil and his brother locked up their bikes before coming inside. Carlos studied the two for the hundredth time, just to be sure he never confused the two. Kevin was more tan, due to more exposure to the sun. He was also about an inch taller than his brother, standing at 5'9". However, the most obvious difference between the two were their eyes: a bland sand-brown versus a vibrant violet. All in all, Kevin seemed very... bland compared to his brother.

The smaller boy pulled a backpack from one shoulder and produced a box wrapped in purple paper. Cecil gently handed it to his friend and whispered "Be careful with it" in his ear before moving inside. Kevin laughed quietly at the blush on his face. Carlos shook it off before turning back inside.

...o0o...

The evening progressed as a birthday party should, starting with a round of bowling, then about an hour of arcade gaming. A little before the cake, Carlos heard S Club 7's "Natural" come on the radio. He just froze in place, thinking about the lyrics, until Cecil, not looking where he was going, bumped into him. Cecil stuttered his apologies before scuttling off to the table where candles on the cake were being lit.

Carlos felt his face turn bright red. He quickly walked to the bathroom to hide in a stall, waiting for the blush to subside. _What has gotten into you_? He asked himself. _This is your best friend, nothing more._

Upon emerging from the restroom, Carlos found himself engulfed in a chorus of "Happy Birthday", immediately followed by cake and present opening. He gratefully thanked each person for their gifts before opening the purple box. With nervous excitement, he quickly peeled back the paper, only to meet a plain cardboard box. Tension growing, the future scientist opened the flaps at the top.

From the box, he pulled the _coolest gift he'd ever received_. It was a purple lava lamp, about two feet high, the base and top covered in metal cutouts of stars. On the base were the words "I am star stuff".

Cecil beamed. "What do you think?"

Carlos leaned over and hugged his friend. "I _love_ it. Thank you so much!"

At that moment, Carlos accepted that he liked this person more than a friend.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Song: Hey Soul Sister - Train**

The phone was ringing, damnit. It was defiantly ringing. Why did he have to dial the number? Why did he have this stupid idea anyway? Ugh. Maybe Carlos wouldn't answer, and he wouldn't have to go through with talking-

"Hello?"

Crap.

"Hey Carlos..."

"Cecil. It's _two in the goddamn morning_. It'd better be important."

"Hehe. Ya..." Cecil glanced out the window. He had barley even noticed the fact that the sun hadn't come up. The future radio host was up all night planning this stupid idea, so he had momentarily forgotten the fact that almost everyone else in the world had a sleep schedule.

He took a deep breath and started again sheepishly. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over this afternoon, watch some movies, spend the night, that sorta thing...?" Cecil trailed off awkwardly. _This sounds like I'm inviting him over to do the do! What the hell!_ He scrunched his eyes shut and waited for an answer.

"Sure. Sounds great." The lovely voice replied. "Now, remind me why you had to call me in the middle of the night to ask?"

Cecil was so giddy with excitement he almost forgot to answer. "Oh, ya know. Sometimes you just can't wait."

...o0o...

Snacks? Check. Plenty of pillows? Check. Large pile of horror movies? Check.

Cecil went over the list for what felt like the millionth time as he straitened the purple constellation sheets on his queen sized bed. Everything had to be perfect. It also had to be non-romantic. Otherwise it would be weird, not to mention awkward.

Cecil plopped himself down on the bed. It was large enough for two people to share without touching. Besides, the floor was rather uncomfortable, even with the plush violet carpet. It seemed wasteful to drag an air mattress all the way upstairs just to haul it back the next morning. Plus, they were just _friends_. Friends can share a bed, right?

He was shaken from his thoughts by the sound of the doorbell ringing. With a small adjustment to the pillows, Cecil nodded to himself and headed downstairs to greet his guest.

"Well hello there," the blonde said as he opened the door to a sheepish looking Carlos holding a pillow and a toothbrush.

The two headed up the stairs to Cecil's bedroom. Upon entering, Carlos dropped his stuff. "You did _not_ specify that we would be watching horror movies" he exclaimed, gesturing to the pile of discs in small plastic cases in front of the television.

Cecil threw back his head and laughed. "I didn't specify otherwise either." He paused. "What, are you afraid?" Another round of laughter escaped.

His friend blushed. "N-no! I'm not scared. I-it's the science in them. So inaccurate." Unfortunately, Carlos's sweating hands betrayed him.

One final wave of giggles escaped Cecil before he sat down on the bed and gestured for Carlos to follow. "Alright then. If you're _oh so brave_ , you won't mind watching them after dark?" With the last two words, he raised his hands and wiggled his fingers to signify creepy-oogey-boogeyness.

Carlos gulped. "Of corse not."

...o0o...

Of corse he did. The evening was spent by one individual completely engrossed in the films, while the other watched snippets between fingers. Every time Carlos shrieked, Cecil would collapse in a fit of laughter at his friend. Once, when Carlos left for the bathroom, the blonde crawled under the bed. When the dark-skinned boy retuned to climb onto the bed, he reached out to grab Carlos's leg, which in turn lead to another fit of screaming and a geyser of giggles.

By the time the evening had drawn to a close, the pair had watched 4 movies, 3 of which after the dark, and the clock was quickly approaching midnight. Of corse, that didn't meet anything, since clocks around there didn't actually work. They sat on the bed in silence for a moment before Cecil said something that surprised Carlos.

"Truth or dare?"

"Cecil, isn't that what girls do at sleepovers? As a way to get dirt on each other to gossip about later?"

"Just pick one."

"Fine. Truth."

"What do you think of Night Vale?"

It took a moment for Carlos to find the right words. "I think it's the most scientifically interesting community I've ever been in."

"But like, do you like it here?"

"Of corse." He thought back to the Wisconsin. How he'd never really thought of it as home, despite being born and raised there. How he always thought there was a better place for him. "I feel like, I don't know, I was meant to live here or something."

There was another pause. "Well, your job plaque says you will probably work here one day. Maybe you are destined to be here or something."

 _Or something_ , Carlos thought.

"Truth or dare?" It was Carlos this time.

"Truth."

"Tell me something you wouldn't generally want to tell anyone."

"Hmm. I'm mostly an open book... Oh! I'm ticklish..."

It was Carlos's turn to laugh. "That should come in handy" he stated slyly.

"Oh no you don't."

...o0o...

Apparently in the middle of the night, Cecil had curled his body around all of the sheets and blankets, bunching them together. In turn, Carlos had spread out like a starfish and accidentally forced Cecil onto the floor. In the morning Cecil looked down at the bundle of linens in his arms. _Glad that wasn't Carlos. That woulda been a bit awkward_ , he thought, as he made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

Surprisingly, the evening had been a success, and the two had learned a lot about each other.

 _God. I'm falling even more in love with this guy_. Cecil chuckled around a mouthful of toothpaste foam. _I'm such an idiot_. Even so, he was smiling.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Song: You're Perfect - Jacob Whitesides**

Carlos rang the doorbell and anxiously waited to be greeted. The future scientist was dressed as a hooded figure, and for a second he wondered if they'd be offended by his costume, but quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. After a moment bouncing on the balls of his feet in the chilly October air, he heard a click and swish of the door opening.

"Trick or Treat" he said to the face smiling back at him. Carlos froze for a moment, taken aback by his friend's costume. Cecil was dressed as a cat, the costume consisting mostly of a purple and white striped t-shirt and violet capris. The outfit was completed with small purple ears sticking out of his hair, a long striped tail clipped to his pants, and very oversized paw mittens on his hands.

The older boy blinked awkwardly at his friend's costume.

Cecil blushed and looked at the floor. "You don't like it...?"

Carlos laughed. "I love it Cecil. Fits you perfectly."

The cat giddily sprung at the dark-skinned boy with a hug. "You look rather nice too" he whispered before pulling back.

Carlos turned around to hide his reddening cheeks. "Well- uh... Let's get going then..." He started walking down the sidewalk at a brisk pace.

...o0o...

Cecil stood there for a second, watching his crush move down the walk. Had he done something wrong? The cat had momentarily forgotten that his friend wasn't gay... _I should just give up already. We won't have a romantic relationship if he doesn't swing my way..._

He pushed the thought from his mind as Carlos turned back and yelled "Are you coming, or do I have to go by myself?"

Cecil smiled. "You wouldn't go alone, you big fraidy-cat" he retorted, skipping across the lawn.

Carlos nervously laughed, but didn't deny it.

...o0o...

The two trick-or-treated along the route to their destination. Along the way they picked up Dana, Earl, and Mary (in that order). Kevin had come with them as well. As the group finally reach its destination, Carlos grew uneasy. Maybe a haunted house wasn't such a good idea, especially in Night Vale. If hooded figures and government agencies didn't scare these people, what would?

The friends entered in groups of two, starting with Earl and Kevin, followed by Mary and Dana. After what seemed like an eternity, it was Cecil and Carlos's turn. As the door opened, the Hooded Figure reached out and grabbed the cat's arm tight. He felt Cecil tense, and started to loosen his grip in embarrassment, but a giant paw held him in place.

"It's fine if your scared. That's why I'm here" Cecil cocked his head to the side and winked.

They entered together before another word was said.

The first few frights of the house were cheap jump scares with werewolves and clowns. Unfortunately, about halfway through the house, a bunch of spiders fell from the ceiling. This coaxed a shriek from Carlos as he jumped into Cecil's arms. After a moment, he became very aware of their closeness and stumbled away. "Sorry" he murmured, extremely sheepish.

"Hey. It's what friends are for."

 _Yeah. Just friends._

...o0o...

Cecil wanted to scream I frustration! This guy was leading him on! All he wanted to do was hold Carlos close, and never let him go. And what does he do? He practically throws himself at him! As soon as they get out the back door, guarded by a librarian, Cecil took off after a curt "gotta go." He would say something tomorrow about how he wasn't feeling well or something, but for now he just wanted to be alone. The cat didn't even turn around to see the hurt look on his friend's face.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Song: Teenage Dream - Katy Perry**

Cecil had apologized about Halloween, saying he had begun to feel sick. Thanksgiving came and went, and the group exchanged gifts in a white elephant for Christmas.

Valentine's Day was just around the corner, and the two boys had high hopes.

...o0o...

Carlos contemplated confessing his feelings to Cecil on Valentine's Day. He thought of the scenarios that could lead to them being together. Of corse, his scientific mind had just as many scenarios where he was rejected, several including Cecil not being his friend anymore. He really didn't want to screw this up.

Maybe there was a way to come clean without actually telling him? An idea sparked as he reached into his desk drawer...

...o0o...

Cecil had made up his mind. He was going to ask Carlos to the Valentines Dance. The blonde began to dial his friend's familiar number. He was going to put it all on the line and face rejection. The phone began to ring. There was no way he would back down-

"Hello?" The beautiful voice on the other end said.

"H-hello? Carlos..." He began.

"Yes, dear friend?"

 _Friend_. That put him off a bit.

"I was wondering if... You would go to the dance with me...?" Then at the last second he added "As friends. You know, two friends, going to a dance together, totally platonic." _Saved it_ , he thought.

There was a long pause. "Ya. Sounds fun!" The voice on the other end seemed almost... disappointed? Cecil probably imagined it.

"Hey, gotta go. See ya!" The call ended, leaving Cecil alone with his regrets.

Perhaps if he couldn't say it to Carlos's face, he could through indirect communication. He bent over and pulled out a box of craft supplies from under his bed.

...o0o...

While preparing for the dance, Carlos's mother walked in.

"Do you have a date this year, Carlito?"

"No Mamá. I'm going to the dance with a friend."

"A friend huh? Well I'll leave you about your business then," she smiled as she exited the room. "That's how it starts..." She added to herself.

Carlos was sure he heard that last bit wrong...

...o0o...

Cecil was just smoothing down his yellow t-shirt when the doorbell rang. To match he wore a faded pair of purple jeans and purple converse. With a quick run-down of himself in the mirror, he grabbed his wallet and took off down the stairs.

He hesitated before opening the door. What if Carlos had dressed formally? _No. It's just friends going to the dance_ , the thought, turning the knob.

Cecil sighed with relief at the sight of his friend, wearing a flannel shirt and jeans.

"Shall we?" Cecil bilked in surprise. Carlos held is arm out for Cecil to link with his, smiling shyly.

The younger boy replied with his own smile. Even if they were just friends, this was pretty close to romance. He'd take what he could get. "We shall."

And together they walked, arm in arm, platonically, to the dance.

...o0o...

Nothing much happened at the dance, mostly because they went as, you know, friends. Cecil sighed, wondering what would have happened if he hadn't added "as friends" to the mix. What's done is done.

Cecil stood in front of Carlos's locker, valentine in hand, ready to slip it in. It was an anonymous valentine, signed by no one. He looked over his work, proud of his cleverly disguised handwriting. Here goes nothing. Cecil looked around to make sure no one was watching, then tucked the card between the vent slots on the door. He quickly ran off to his next class.

...o0o...

Carlos came around the corner just as Cecil disappeared into journalism. Why was he walking so fast? Oh well. Doesn't matter.

Carlos walked past his own locker, then four cubbies down to Cecil's. With a little too much nonchalance, he brought his hand up and slid the card between the door and the side of the locker without stopping. He fought the urge to take off running like Cecil...

Wait. Cecil was running...

Carlos turned and walked back to his locker. He hesitated a moment before opening it, trying not to get his hopes up. After a moment he quickly put in the code and jerked the door open. Out fell a piece of purple heart-shaped construction paper that smelled like lavender, a note written on it with a darker shade of violet.

 _Dear perfect Carlos,_

 _You are perfect and beautiful._

 _I fell in love with you almost instantly._

 _Unfortunately you'll never know who_

 _wrote this._

 _Love, your secret admirer._

Carlos smiled. _Purple_.

...o0o...

Cecil sat next to Carlos at lunch, as always. He wondered if his friend had gotten his letter, and if he'd been discrete enough.

"I got a valentine today," said his wonderful friend with a smile.

"Well who's it from, silly?" Dana asked.

Carlos held the heart up. "Well, I don't know. They explicitly stated that I would _never find out_." He grinned and glanced at Cecil.

 _I just have to play it cool_. "Well, I'm sure they'll be true to their word." _Good. That was good_.

"Well, I hope not. I'd sure like to know who would write such a kind letter"

...o0o...

Glancing to his friend on the left, Cecil bounced up and down in his chair. He was so anxious for the bell to ring so he could go home. Before he cracked and told Carlos about the letter.

 _Ding ding ding_

Cecil shot out of the room like a comet, making a beeline for his locker. He opened it without hesitation, excitement clear on his face. A waterfall of love notes blasted his face before he really saw anything. _What the heck?_ The future radio host pawed through the pile of cards on the ground and groaned. He'd never find one from Carlos in here, and even if he had left one, there'd be no way to distinguish it from the ones by candy-eyed girls.

He scooped the valentines into his backpack just as Carlos walked up to him.

"Wow. You have a lot of secret admirers. I see why you were so excited to get to your locker."

Cecil groaned again. "Honestly, this has never happened before. I'm not sure what happened to make girls like me." He slung his backpack over one shoulder. "Do you wanna come back to my place and veg out on all this candy?"

Carlos grinned. "Sure man. You can't eat all that by yourself without getting a cavity."

...o0o...

After opening all of the valentines, the teens discovered that among many admirers, Cecil had some haters. The many chocolates and candies were accompanied by at least 8 exploding cards.

"I'll bet those are from Steve Carlsberg," Cecil noted bitterly. "City Council will throw a fit about the explosives."

Carlos nodded. He had long since been done being surprised by this town.

Not long after stuffing their faces full of sugary treats, the two boys regretted it. They laughed at each other's inability to resist a stomach ache.

"Hey, by the way," Cecil started. "My birthday is in three days, but I forgot to make invitations to the party. Would you help?"

"Of corse" Carlos responded. _Anything_.

In about 10 minutes they had finished, and Carlos had to make it home for dinner.

"See ya Cecil!" He called walking down the street.

He hadn't told Cecil yet; it just didn't seem like a good time, with all of the fangirls' love letters. He would tell him soon.

When he got home, he placed the valentine on his desk next to his lava lamp, his two most prized possessions.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Song: Carousel - Melanie Martinez**

Cecil's birthday party was held at Big Rico's Pizzeria, which had just recently opened. He considered holding it on top of city hall, but no, that was his special place. Carlos and his.

After the party games, including blood stone circle chanting and levitating games, the friends feasted on cake.

The presents were wonderful. He had received a sweater from Dana, assorted shades of purple glitter from Mary, a brick from Kevin (brothers, right?), and a lunch box with a kitten on it from Earl.

Next came the gift from Cecil's mother. He slowly peeled the wrapping paper away, barely able to contain his excitement. Finally, the present was revealed: a tape recorder!

"It's so you can practice making your own radio show just like Leonard Burton!"

"Thank you mom! I love it!" Cecil launched a hug at her.

Finally, he came to the gift from perfect, beautiful Carlos. The gift was in a thin red bag (probably because Carlos couldn't wrap a gift to save his life) about a foot and a half tall.

Cecil slowly pulled out the tissue paper to reveal the gift. He produced from the bag a beautiful 12 piece calligraphy set. All of the pens and ink capsules were purple (of course), and it came with an instruction book.

"Thank you so much! It's amazing, Carlos!" Cecil gushed. "I love it!"

"Hey, no problem. I had to at least try to top that lava lamp." _And the valentine..._

"I'd say you did a pretty good job."

...o0o...

Later that evening, Cecil clicked the record button.

 _Day 1_

"Hi. Cecil here. Mom gave me this recorder for my birthday so I can make my own radio shows, just like Leonard Burton's show at the real Night Vale Community Radio. I'm gunna replace Leonard one day, I really want to, plus the tablets down at City Hall say so, so I'd better start practicing now.

"Leonard always starts out his show with his big catchphrase, and so I'll do it too. Just the way he does it. Here goes." Cecil dropped his larynx to deepen his voice. "The sun is actually cold. It's cold and empty and all is lost. Greetings from Night Vale. How was that?

"Hold on, hold on," Cecil said between giggles. "I wanna hear that back. Where's the stop button...?" He fumbled with the recorder for a moment before a click signified the machine had stopped recording. He played the whole tape back and chuckled at the sound of his own voice.

After his laughter subsided, he switched the machine back on. "Cecil again! Wow... Is that what I really sound like?" A bubble of laughter surfaced again. "This is so weird! Ok, ok." Clearing his throat, Cecil continued. "So in local news, a new pizza place opened, and I went to it." His rambling about Big Rico's continued for several moments before-

He paused. "Wait. What is that?" The teen flipped the switch to look around. He could have sworn he had seen something... Cecil pushed the record button again. "Huh. It went away when I hit stop. Oh, but now it's back again. It's kind of... It's this kind of flickering in the corner of my eye, like someone's waving their arms right next to me, but when I turn there's nothing there. Oh well.

"Oh, hey. Do you wanna here me sing? Here's the Night Vale High Fight Song." With that he let out a screech and a series of 'bum bum bum's.

"Huh. That flickering got really strong when I sang. Oh oh oh! Leonard's gunna be on soon! Ok. Goodbye, for now, or as Leonard always says: See ya, Night Vale, see ya!"

With that he turned the machine off and put it away. Cecil moved to his bedside table to flick on the radio and listen to Leonard's familiar voice, and put the flickering out of his mind.

...o0o...

 _Day 2_

"Cecil again! My brother says I'll never make it in radio because my voice isn't right for it. I need to get more like Leonard, with that perfect radio voice. All high pitched and grating, like sand paper, just the way radio voices should be."

Cecil paused. "Um, I've been seeing that movement more, even when I'm not recording. It's like someone is walking towards me, but when I turn, there's nothing there. And it's not the Faceless Old Woman that Secretly Lives in our Home because I asked her, and the next day our kitchen table had been flipped over and superglued to the floor which, I'm pretty sure is her way of saying no. I wish whatever it is would just say hi."

The radio-host-in-training interrupted himself with a gasp. "Uh... I just felt something touch me... I think maybe making these tapes is encouraging it... I'm, uh, I'm going to hit stop now." His voice was quaking in fear by the time he pushed the button.

...o0o...

 _Day 3_

"Hey. Cecil here. Great news! Leonard agreed to let me intern down at the station doing all the things he doesn't have time to!" He reminisced about the visit with the host, listing the things he would do as an intern. "Oh! I cannot wait to start! Mother says to beware, be warned, be wary. She says this to everything, no matter what you say to her, so I think that means she's very proud of me. Heck, I'm very proud of me. I wish my brother could be proud of me, but no family member is perfect. They become perfect when you learn to accept them for what they are!

Cecil grinned. "I also might have my super-secret crush do an interview on my show." He blushed. "I should probably remove that last bit... Ah, who cares. Nobody will hear this anyway!"

After a sigh, Cecil clicked the stop button again. Carlos had started... flirting with him, and Cecil wasn't sure how to react. _Maybe he's unaware_ , he thought, trying to ignore the strange movement in the corner of his eye as he fell asleep.

...o0o...

 _Day 4_

Cecil bent down and pulled out his recorder. Documenting his day had become a routine, almost like a journal. He held the microphone to his mouth and clicked "record."

"Oh. My. God. My first day as an intern was just... Neat! It didn't start out well, what with my brother staring at me from across the breakfast table with those hollow eyes and howling..." He shuddered at the thought of Kevin in this state. "Ugh. Brothers right? But once I was in the station, I knew I had found home. A messy home, full of hallways winding away into a labyrinth of audio equipment and tape stacks. Just like home!" Cecil continued to gush about his day. Station management, empty recording studios, his boss Leonard, it was all so wonderful. He continued to describe this partially out of awe, and partially to keep from thinking about Carlos too much. Carlos had become very... flirty lately, and Cecil didn't know how long he could resist before he told him about his feelings.

"My mom seems really proud of me too!" The blonde continued. "She hid from me for three days! Like the longest ever! And she's covered all the mirrors in my house. I'm not sure why, but I think it must be because of pride. Being proud does... all sorts of things... to a person."

Cecil looked around and shook his head. "I-I'm sorry. I got distracted. That weird movement is back, and it's closer now. Hello?" He called over his shoulder. "Hellooo? I'm Cecil." He put lots of emphasis on his words, as if the movement might have a hard time understanding him. "Cecil. Gershwin. Palmer. And you cannot scare me, you cannot!" His voice wavered a bit. "You can not-

"Hello?" His voice was almost a whisper now.

...o0o...

 _Day 5_

Recording every night had become habit, as had Carlos's flirtatious ways. _It must be because of our amazing bestfriendship_ , he thought. _They must treat best friends differently in Wisconsin._

"Interning is going great. Mom is gone... Umm, oh, Leonard is super nice to me! My brother is gone, too. Family right?" He said with a nervous chuckle. "I think I'm learning a lot at the station. All the mirrors in my house are uncovered now, and I'm not sure who did that. I'm standing in front of the hall mirror right now. Am I changed? Am I becoming an adult? I look more grown, I think. More professional. Leonard said that if I work hard, I might become radio presenter myself someday."

Cecil continued to ramble on about Leonard as he gazed at himself in the mirror. What if Carlos really did mean something with his flirting? Was he really actually good enough for his perfect friend?

He paused. "That flickering movement is everywhere now, especially looking in this mirror. I see the flickering movement, and I know. I know it." Then, to take his kind of the creepy motion, he continues to rant about interning at the radio station. Unfortunately, his attention is soon recaptured by the flickering.

"I am looking in a mirror. The mirror is not covered. The flickering movement is just behind me. I-"

Cecil interrupted himself with a scream. What he saw in the mirror over his shoulder was something indescribably horrifying.

Cecil saw Kevin, his brother, drenched in blood, the crimson staining his hands, dripping from his eyes and edges of his face- no. That was not Kevin's face. It was his mother's, plucked from her own head and crudely sewn onto his closest blood relative's.

The worst part was that the face still seemed alive and sentient, making horrible gurgling noises and spitting blood.

Thankfully his sister was at a friend's house and would never see this unspeakable horror.

Recorder still in hand, Cecil fled the house. He pushed the stop button on his way out, and began to fumble with his phone.

...o0o...

Carlos felt his cell vibrate and glanced at the caller ID before answering.

"Hello? Cecil?"

"Carlos! My family is gone and... There's something in my house! I'm so scared Carlos. I..."

Cecil stopped to scream in unspeakable terror.

"Cecil! Cecil? Listen to me. Tell me where you are! I'll come get you... Cecil? Cecil!"

The line went dead before Cecil could even stop screaming.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Song: Titanium - David Guetta**

A dull thud brought Carlos back to his senses. Blinking, he looked around to find his phone had landed on the carpet at his feet. His knees gave way to his weight, and slowly, his brain began to process what had just happened.

He was doing homework when Cecil called. The boy sounded terrified... had said something was in his house, so he must be close to his home. Then he screamed and the line went dead...

Oh no. Something bad had happened to him.

In an instant, Carlos had sprinted down the stairs and out the front door. As he ran, his whole body seemed to be pulsing to the word _Ce-cil, Ce-cil, Ce-cil._ He _will_ find him, and everything will be alright.

...o0o...

"It's alright Cecil. Turn around. Say hi to your brother. It's awfully rude to ignore me, Cecil."

Cecil ignored the horrible voice and kept tearing through the street. He wasn't even sure where he was going, just _somewhere_ to escape this monster.

Suddenly Cecil found himself in front of City hall. He tripped over a shrub, and Kevin took this opportunity to grab Cecil and fling him at the building. Flailing about, he slid down the wall, breath failing to enter his lungs. Between the darkening edges of his vision, he saw Kevin looming over him, his mother's face caked with blood around the edges.

"I found a new home, brother. This wonderful place called Desert Bluffs! A woman, Lauren, found me here, and brought me there and have shown me a smiling God! I must go there, you see, to worship this wonderful being. They even offered me a job there, as a radio host! At least only one of us will be a failure..."

With this, Kevin paused and looked Cecil up and down. "You must come with me brother! You will see the smiling God! You will worship him too! Come with! Family is family, right?"

In response, Cecil propelled himself into the air with his left leg and arms and kicked out with his right. His foot connected with Kevin's check and slid along his/his mother's face, ripping stitches on the left side of his face out.

This horrible monster that is also his twin brother stumbled and fell back, landing on his hands. Cecil jumped up, took the face by the detached area on the left and ripped it off, revealing Kevin's. The other boy noted his brother's eyes had turned obsidian black, with orange irises.

"Why. Why did you do that to mom?"

Kevin groaned. "She refused to praise him! The smiling God deserves to be loved by all! Praise him! PRAISE!" He reached out and grabbed Cecil's ankle with claw-like fingernails, drawing blood from his brother. Cecil screeched and fell back as his leg was pulled from under him. The second hand was around his throat soon, squeezing the life from it. "On second thought, it would be wonderful if you helped me decorate my new studio."

Then the whole world seemed to bend toward Cecil as he began to lose consciousness. No wait. That's just Kevin. And the thing falling from the roof.

...o0o...

Carlos underestimated the weight of a potted plant. When he arrived at Cecil's house, he found nothing out of the ordinary but a few drops of blood in the hallway. Although it wasn't much, it was enough to make him queasy. _That could be Cecil's_.

The only other place he could think to look was the roof of City Hall. _Sometimes I just need to get away_. By the time this thought crossed his mind he was already out the door and jogging down the street.

As he approached the edge of the City Council lawn, he hesitated. His heart leaped into his throat as he heard Cecil's unmistakable voice. Carlos peeked around a hedge just in time to see Cecil hit the wall. He felt adrenaline rush to his veins and he wanted nothing more than to run to his rescue, but paused. He knew that wouldn't help very much if whatever Cecil was fighting could do that.

What was Cecil fighting?

Carlos took one more look around the corner and realized with a start it was Kevin.

He ducked behind the hedge once more and ran to the back entrance of City Hall. Upon entering, he was struck by an odd thought: Why was City Hall always deserted? Pushing this aside, he ran to the painting-oh ya! That's what it looks like-and flung the door open. He scrambled to the trap door and crawled onto the roof to survey the scene.

Below him, the most important person in the world to Carlos was being strangled by his twin. He could see from the lack of writhing that most of his energy was already drained by the fight.

Now panicking, Carlos searched the roof for something to throw... A plant!

He grabbed the pot by the edges and hauled it to the end of the roof. Gathering all his strength, Carlos flung the pot as best he could at Kevin. Unfortunately, the weight dragged Carlos off too.

...o0o...

With Kevin's hand not insisting on closing his windpipe, Cecil gasped for breath. He sat up and looked around to see what had made him let go and noticed a shattered pot. Upon closer inspection, he saw clumps of dirt sticking to Kevin's now blood-soaked head and collapsed body.

A potted plant.

Cecil glanced to the roof of City Council, but there was no one there. He stood, and immediately tripped over something-wait, someone. He found Carlos, limp at his feet, crumpled on the grass. Tears stung his eyes as he bent down to check his vitals. Pulse, good. Breathing, good. In relief, he lowered his upper half to hug Carlos, who immediately groaned.

"...Cecil?"

"Carlos! Carlos, what happened?"

"...threw a pot at Kevin... Kinda fell..." He mumbled.

"You're so stupid" Cecil half laughed, half sobbed.

"Why is Kevin..." He stopped, his eyes wide with terror.

"What's wrong?! Carlos?!" Cecil turned, too late, to see Kevin grab Carlos from his arms and drag him a few yards down the lawn.

Rage coursed through him, making his body vibrate. He felt a tingling sensation in the middle of his spine.

"Let him go!" Cecil yelled, and saw something-no, some _things_ -long and purple reach from behind him.

Cecil realized with a start that they were tentacles. And weirder, the were coming from his back. But he had no time to think about it now; Kevin was making considerable progress down the grass.

He stepped forward, and the tentacles grabbed Carlos and yanked him towards himself, causing Kevin to stumble back towards Cecil. He gently placed Carlos on the grass behind him and charged his twin.

Grabbing Kevin with his tentacles, Cecil bashed him against a tree, then another. After a few trees were considerably damaged, he turned and threw him out to the edge of town. Kevin landed in a cloud of dust and promptly began crawling away from the town towards Desert Bluffs.

Finally, he turned back to his crush, who's eyes were wide with terror. Cecil sighed and scratched his head. Of corse Carlos had the right to be scared if him now; he had nearly killed his _own brother!_

Taking a shaky step forward, he approached Carlos, who stayed in place. "I know you're probably scared of me now, but... Is there any way we can still be friends? Could you ever forgive me...?"

Carlos merely laughed. "You saved my life! I think that earns friendship." He hesitated. "But you don't need to earn it. We're already best friends, and nothing could change that."

 _Best friends_. "I have to tell you this now... I-"

He didn't even get to finish his confession before Carlos's lips came crashing down on his own.


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Song: Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heros**

Kissing Carlos was, well, neat! His lips were rough and cracked, pressing against Cecil's as though he only had moments to live. Carlos wasn't very experienced, but that didn't matter. Cecil has waited so long for this, he didn't care that it came out of the blue. His tentacles wrapped themselves around his friend, pushing the two closer.

After what felt like centuries, Cecil pulled back, gasping for breath. His tentacles retracted to his skin, leaving purple outlines along his arms and back. They still squirmed a bit, and seemed to have their own sentience.

Cecil was interrupted from his examination by Carlos grabbing his hands. The tentacles seemed to like this and reach towards his fingers, which tickled the blonde's skin.

"By the way, you have something on your face."

Sure enough, when Cecil reached towards his forehead, he felt an anomaly in his flesh. It was like a raised scar in the shape of an almond. But it moved.

"What is it?"

"It's- it looks like an eye tattoo. It appeared with your, ah, tentacles"

"Well. That's odd." But Cecil wasn't paying much attention to the conversation. His current train of thought was somewhere along the lines of _ohmiglowgcloudhekissedmehestouchingmedidiimagineitohmigoshohmigosh_.

He glanced at his friend- was that the right word anymore? I mean, they did kiss. That was a pretty strong signal. What if he was confused? Did they treat friends differently in Wisconsin?

"Umm..." Cecil began. "So... Are we...?"

Carlos squeezed his hands tighter around Cecil's. "Cecil Gershwin Palmer, will you be my boyfriend?"

The blonde was frozen. Time seemed to slow as he gazed into Carlos's eyes. Was he imagining this? Unfortunately, he accidentally voiced a bit of his concern. "Pinch me..." He muttered, mostly to himself.

Carlos chuckled, then did as he was told.

"Ow! I wasn't serious..." Cecil rubbed his arm nervously. "And, to answer your question," he threw his arms around Carlos's neck, "YES!"

The future radio host could feel his boyfriend's smile against his ear. "Just FYI, you weren't exactly sneaky about that Valentine."

Cecil groaned. "You knew? And never said anything?"

Carlos smile widened. "I hoped my card would be the only one in your locker."

"You gave me one?"

"I was stealthier."

Cecil pulled out of the embrace and pressed his forehead to Carlos's. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too."

...o0o...

Cecil retrieved the recorder from where it landed in the grass. It was tossed aside when he was thrown at the wall. Miraculously, aside from a few scratches, the machine was unharmed. Carlos joined hands with him, and together they made their way to the roof.

Once comfortably seated, Cecil took the microphone in hand and pressed 'record'.

"There is a spider right above you. On the ceiling. Don't move, it might fall on you. Welcome to Night Vale."

He glanced at Carlos. "What do you think? I tweaked it a bit!" And then to the recorder, "Listeners, today I have my boyfriend, wow, it still sounds strange to say." He giggled, and began again. "Today I have my boyfriend, here for an interview on the catastrophic event that just occurred. We were just attacked by my twin brother, Kevin. Carlos, would you care to elaborate?"

"Well, sweetie, you were there. Why don't you say?"

"That's the _point of an interview. You're_ supposed to tell the story. We're suppose to document this event for the future."

Carlos let out a long exhale. "Okay. Whatever. So, Cecil called me, and I found him here, and he was being attacked. I threw a plant at Kevin's head, and then I fell off the roof and Kevin grabbed me, and he dragged me off. Then Cecil gallantly saved me with his tentacles. The end."

"Carlos! You have to go into more detail. And for glow cloud's sake, use proper grammar! Anyway, Kevin ripped off my mother's face and sewed it over his own." At that, Carlos shuddered. "He kept going on about stupid Desert Bluffs and some company called StrexCorp and a smiling God. He told me to come with him, and when I refused, he attacked me. Carlos?"

"I showed up just as Cecil was thrown against city hall. I ran up to the roof and found a potted plant. When I went to throw it, I fell to the grass below, and was dragged off by Kevin. That's when tentacles sprouted from Cecil's back, and he used them to save me. Oh, he also gained a third eye made if tattoos. I think that's it. Am I done, Cecil?"

"Yes, that's it. Anyway, that brings us to now. The tentacles have subsided to sentient tattoos. All is well." He gazed into the sunset and rested his head on his boyfriend's shoulder. "Not all is lost. I realize that now. The sun is warm and full and all is well. Goodnight, Night Vale, Goodnight."


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Song: It Only Gets Much Worse - Nate Ruess**

That week at school, the couple hadn't actually announced their relationship or anything, they just held hands _all the time_. They linked arms in the hallways and laced fingers in the classrooms. Carlos was a lefty, and since they sat side-by-side, the two were able to hold hands in class and continue to do work.

The battle with Kevin was a secret, so naturally, the story spread like wildfire. People flocked to the pair and begged to see Cecil's tattoos move. Of course, he couldn't turn them down. While rolling up his sleeves, the crowd would press tighter to catch a glimpse of the wriggling purple lines. He would chuckle every time someone asked to touch them. In the end, he would back up towards Carlos, join hands, and walk off towards class with a sort of satisfied resignation.

Unfortunately, this bliss wouldn't last long.

...o0o...

One afternoon, the lovers were cuddling together atop City Hall, talking. Just talking, not about anything in particular. Carlos was just so happy. He felt that this kind of happiness shouldn't even exist, it was so strong, so pure. And he wouldn't trade understanding of all the science in the world for it.

The pair was interrupted by the sound of the trap door opening. Since no one else (that they knew of) knew about their secret spot, Carlos turned, and he felt Cecil do the same.

He felt Cecil stiffen. "Carlos. That's city council." His voice was but a whisper, a warning. Carlos studied the many people emerging from the door. Once they were all gathered on the roof, they spoke in unison.

"We saw your stunt a week ago with the tentacles. We see all, and we worry for the sake of our town. Let's get straight to business. We are concerned for our little town. Your tentacles are a threat."

"Why are they a threat? They haven't manifested physically since the battle." Cecil interrupted.

"It seems that they only become an extension of your body while protecting something. Someone. Other than yourself." All of the members- he couldn't tell how many, turned to look at Carlos, who gulped. A threat? What world they do about it?

"It is our duty, on behalf of Night Vale, to rid ourselves of this threat" they continued in unison. Carlos felt several limbs wrap around him from behind. "Therefore, we must send Carlos away, and reeducate everyone of his existence. This way, we can guarantee we will be safe from your wrath." They all gestured to the tentacles now bundled around Carlos.

"Why can't you just take my tentacles? Or be sure Carlos isn't threatened?" Cecil asked furiously.

"We considered it, but frankly, this is much easier. You have until midnight to say goodbye."

With that, city council disappeared in a puff of smoke, and the couple was left to their own devices.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Song: What I've Been Looking For (Reprise) from High School Musical**

Carlos stared at where city council just stood in shock. _Send me away? Why? Why did it have to be me?_

Carlos, still wrapped in tentacles, rolled over to face Cecil, who was silently crying. Carlos's face flushed in fury. City Council had no soul if they could do this without batting an eye!

"Shh, come here, it's ok," Carlos murmured as he wound his arms around his boyfriend. Cecil nuzzled his face into the crook of Carlos's neck and began to sob. The tentacles pressed the two boys tighter as the sobbing intensified.

"I-I just," Cecil choked. "I never want to forget you! I can't! I need you! I love you, Carlos, and I don't know if I can live without you! I can't-" Cecil looked up at Carlos with those big eyes that make you want to run away with him and protect him from the world.

"Forget me? Why would you forget me?"

"They- they said they would reeducate everyone. They're going to make everyone forget you exist!"

Carlos was taken aback. This was more than cruel. But to a point that it was almost humane. This way Cecil wouldn't cry himself to sleep at night, or search with no avail for him. But it was still wrong.

He gripped the blonde by the shoulders. "I have an idea." He glanced at the machine situated by the potted plants.

Cecil let out a small smile and kissed his boyfriend on the nose. "You're so smart" he whispered.

...o0o...

The pair had retreated to Cecil's bedroom, since his house was basically deserted now. They climbed atop his bed and curled up with the recorder.

"Listeners," Cecil began, his voice still shaky. "I... I have some terrible news. Because of that... Incident with Kevin, City Council now sees me as a threat. They have decided to-" he choked on a sob. Unable to speak, he nudged Carlos with the microphone.

"Sorry... listeners. Cecil is... unable to continue speaking at this point. What he was saying it that City council has decided to send me away and reeducate the town. The tentacles are a protective mechanism, and without someone to protect, they won't be a threat. Therefore, by sending me away, they will cease their threateningness. Anyway, our plan is to document everything about me, and hide the tape, so that someday Cecil will find it and... remember me." He blushed for no apparent reason. All this trouble, just to remember little old him. "Anything you'd like to add, my honey-voiced honey?"

Cecil giggled at the nickname. His sobbing had subsided at this point, so he took the microphone. "I'd like to start with his description. Carlos is a few inches taller than me, with dark skin. He has soft, brown eyes, a perfect smile, and beautiful, luscious brown hair that falls in a cascade of curls to his shoulders. He is Hispanic, but was born and raised in Wisconsin. They have fireflies there. Someday I will go visit him and see the fireflies.

"Anyway, when I first saw him, sitting next to me on the bus- he could have sat anywhere, but he sat next to me- I knew he was the one for me." The two began to recount their experiences together, including every detail, for future reference. When they were done, they took out the tapes and labeled them 'Cecil and Carlos' in a little heart, and put them in a box with the rest of the tapes Cecil had produced over the last few weeks.

...o0o...

The two now lay on the bed, their foreheads pressed together, staring into each other's eyes. Their arms found their way around each other, and as one dozed off, the other would gently shake him awake. They didn't want to waste a single moment they had together.

"Hey, Cece?" Carlos said at about 10:45.

"Mm?"

"Did you really... fall in love with me instantly?"

Cecil giggled. "Yes, silly. I guess my heart didn't want to waste any time." He paused, then, "When did you know that you liked me?"

Carlos hesitated, thinking back to his birthday. "I finally accepted my feelings at my party, but I liked you way before that. You always made me feel nervous, and I could never figure out why. Hey, whaaaat?" He added in response to Cecil's chuckle.

"Did I intimidate you?" He said teasingly. Before Carlos could answer, he closed the short distance between his own lips Cecil's forehead and hugged him tighter.

They were interrupted by City Council appearing noisily in the bedroom. "Your time is up."

...o0o...

Cecil felt the now familiar tingle in his spine as the tentacles peeled off of his skin and wrapped themselves around Carlos protectively.

"What will happen to me?" His boyfriend was saying.

"You will be reeducated too, of course. We can't have you coming back here and making Cecil remember you."

"But my plaque in city hall... I'm going to spend most of my life here, right?"

City Council chuckled in unison. "You may end up living here in the future, but you won't remember Cecil at all. For now, we have secured a new job for your father, and you will be on your way."

Carlos gulped, seeing no point in arguing further. "So... Can you explain the process to me? How will the reeducation work?"

"We put you to sleep, and perform a bloodstone circle ritual to remove the desired memories. You will wake up with a vague understanding of instructions to leave we plant in your subconscious. Finally, you will carry out the instructions, and you will forget about them."

"Will I remember Night Vale? Or will you erase every thing that led up to and during the time I knew Cecil? How will I find my way back?"

"You will forget every time you associate with Cecil. You will forget arriving in Night Vale, but you will retain the information you learned in school this year." They paused, then presumably seeing no harm in continuing, they said, "The memory block will fade, starting in about 10 years. You will remember vague things, such as colors, smells, letters. We suspect this is how you will find your way back here to carry out your career."

"What about Kevin?" Cecil murmured weakly.

"What about him?" City Council asked in unison.

"Will I forget him? The only thing I can think about when think of him is how he attacked Carlos." The tentacles tightened around his boyfriend possessively.

The members of the council looked at each other, then responded together, "We'll see what we can do."

...o0o...

Carlos turned in his cocoon of tentacles to face Cecil. Cecil smiled in ernest. "I will miss you. I won't know that I miss you, but I will. I will always love you. No matter what." He leaned in and kissed his boyfriend. He was dimly aware of City Council counting down. _Ten. Nine. Eight._

"I love you too, Cecil."

 _Seven. Six. Five._

"I don't want to forget" Cecil whimpered.

 _Four. Three._

"Me neither, Cece. Me neither"

 _Two_.

A single tear rolled down Carlos's cheek, and he saw Cecil's eyes mist up, too.

 _One_.


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Song: Nothing Without Love - Nate Ruess**

When Cecil woke up, he knew something was wrong. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

The boy slid to the end of the bed and lightly touched his feet to the floor. Instead of feeling the soft carpet between his toes, he felt the soles of his shoes. _Weird_. Why wasn't he in his pajamas? When had he even put on this outfit?

Cecil slipped out of his shoes and padded quietly down the hallway. He peered into his mother's bedroom. Nothing. He snuck a peek into his sister's bedroom, and had a vague recollection that Abbey was staying at a friend's house. He poked his head into another bedroom. Who's bedroom was it? He only had one sibling. Right? Cecil tiptoed down the stairs. On his way down, he noticed all of the mirrors were covered. Despite curiosity, instinct told him not to pull the sheets down. They were covered for a reason.

When Cecil hit the ground floor, he knew there wasn't anything else in the house to be found. Every room was silent and empty. Even so, there was still something he hadn't covered. Something else has been torn from his life, but _what_?

...o0o...

Carlos opened his eyes when the car rocked over a hole in the pavement. He had a strong feeling of déjà vu and a killer migraine. _It's because you're not used to it, a little voice told him_. But _what_ wasn't he used to?

He rubbed his eyes. "Where is the job again?" He asked his parents.

"Upstate New York," his mother responded cheerfully.

"What happened to the last one?" he wondered aloud.

"They just decided they needed your father somewhere besides Washington, silly."

"No, no, after that. The one in Arizona."

"What? I've never gotten a job in Arizona. Although I'd love to. There's some funky science down there." His dad said firmly.

"The most scientifically interesting place in the world." Carlos murmured to himself. He glanced around the backseat and spotted his backpack. While digging around a bit, he felt something scratchy. Upon pulling it out, he saw the scratchy stuff was glitter, glued to a heart-shaped price of paper.

 _Dear perfect Carlos,_

The paper read.

 _You are perfect and beautiful._

 _I fell in love with you almost instantly._

 _Unfortunately you'll never know who_  
 _wrote this._

 _Love, your secret admirer._

For whatever reason, it made him smile. Something tickled at the edge of his memory. _Purple_.

Suddenly, he began to weep.


	15. Epilogue

**Chapter Song: Back Home - Andy Grammar**

15 years later

(Pilot)

"A new man came into town today " the Voice of Night Vale stated. "Who is he? What does he want from us?" Why is he so familiar?

Cecil continued to contemplate this outsider's familiarity throughout the broadcast. He was haunted by a tingling at the base of his spine. Well, not actual tingling. The memory of tingling. What was it?

"That new scientist, we now know is named Carlos," Cecil tasted the name, discovered every sound of every letter of every syllable. This name. Had he heard it before? The name brought tingling up his back. "... called a town meeting." he continued.

"He has a square jaw, and teeth like a military cemetery. His hair is perfect." The man continued on about Carlos's hair. Where have I heard that name? Somehow, he knew it was important.

"He grinned, and everything about him was perfect, and I fell in love instantly." Cecil blushed at that, but it was true. It was almost like he was already in love with him. Like he was born to love him. He wasn't sure why or how, but he knew he was irrevocably, irreparably in love with this man. Carlos.

...o0o...

The car jiggled over a small pothole, and Carlos felt a premonition tingle down his back. A few of his scientist colleges in the back seat groaned in a chorus of "are we there yet?"s.

"I swear guys, the signs right up here- there! There it is! Woohoo!"

The other scientists ooed and aaahed at the purple sign passed the window.

"'Varies by day?' Doesn't that seem a bit ominous?" Carl asked.

Carlos just laughed. He knew he'd been there before. It was the town he forgot. He patted the purple leather-bound notebook on the center console next to him. He wasn't crazy! Take that, logic!

...o0o...

Later that day, he called a town meeting to tell everyone why he was there.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know you are all curious as to why a team of scientists as showed up at your peaceful little town. So I tell you now, you are by far the most scientifically interesting community in the U.S. We have come to see just what is going on around here."

At that, he spotted a devilishly handsome being covered in tattoos in the back... Tattoos of... tentacles! And a third eye in the center of his forehead. For a moment, Carlos thought he saw it blink, but then again, he was pretty far away.

The scientist whipped out the purple journal from his lab coat pocket and flipped to a dog eared page. When he was a teenager, he had a reoccurring dream of a figure with a third eye and tentacles, looming over him, but not threateningly. He seemed to be there to help. To save him. Carlos glanced from a rough sketch of the dream to the reporter and back. He tried to suppress a smile as he saw the man catch his gaze, and they both blushed. The reporter blushed purple. But he quickly dismissed the detail in his giddiness.

...o0o...

(Cassette)

Cecil sat in shock of what he just heard. After a moment, he said "No matter. I am taking the tape, just now, and I'm crushing it-"

But as he crushed the tape, his gaze fell upon another, resting at the top of the pile of other tapes in the box. He stopped squeezing the cassette, and reached over on a whim to a plastic candy wrapper lying on his desk. He began to crinkle it, and continued to grunt as if from effort, all the while his gaze never moved from the tape he had noticed moments earlier, labeled "Cecil and Carlos" in a small heart.

After he wrapped up the show, Cecil rushed home with the tapes and the player. He sat on the bed for the longest time, staring at the tape that now rested in his hands.

Cecil heard the front door opening, and quickly buried the tape in the box. He simply wasn't ready to dive into this strange past he didn't remember.

...o0o...

(Review)

Kissing, the couple collapsed onto the bed. Cecil sighed, "I missed you so much, you perfect scientist."

He heard the other man chuckle. "Not as much as I missed you!" He launched a tickle assault on his partner, who shrieked inhumanly loud.

Cecil sat up quickly. "Hold on, Carlos." He stood and crossed the room to his dresser and opened the sock drawer.

"What's wrong, pookie? I'm sorry, I didn't know tickling you would bug you so much..."

"No, it's not that... Here it is." Cecil waved the tape triumphantly over his head.

"Cece, what's that?" Carlos asked with a nervous edge to his voice.

"I found this a while back, about a year and a half ago..." Cecil explained as he gathered up the cassette player. "I haven't listened to it yet because I was nervous, and I think you should hear it with me..." He trailed off as he sat down on the bed beside his lover and handed the tape to him.

Carlos accepted with shaky hands and gasped as he saw the label. "Is this-"

"I found it that day I played those tapes on the radio. I didn't bring it up because we had just started dating, and I didn't want to scare you off..."

Carlos gulped, and firmly placed the tape into the player. "Well, we'll be scared together." His hand hovered hesitantly over the play button.

Cecil squeezed the hand comfortingly, and with that, they pushed play together.


End file.
